Zatch Bell: Another Story (Remastered)
by Grade-AMasterpiece
Summary: Remake of the original "Another Story." A story always has different perspectives. This time, we see how a ridiculed Mamodo survives the tournament. Follow alongside him, his bookkeeper, and his friend Zatch as they all battle through emotional turmoil, encounter friends, comrades, and enemies, and grow into a powerful team in this adventure. Contains OC and minor language.
1. Chapter 1

**Beginning Author Notes**

This is a hats-off to the _Zatch Bell_ followers I amassed during the original story's run. If inaction didn't tell you, it became a dead fic. But, no more, it's time to revisit and modify the story. Hopefully, this time, I'll have the confidence to finish it. Is everyone ready?

 **Setting:** While Chapter 1 (the prologue) takes place before the events of the tournament, the story largely begins amid the "Mamodo from a Thousand Years Ago" arc. After that, you may or may not see other canon events as told from a different perspective. Long story short, the story takes place during the actual storyline.

 **Disclaimer:** Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). I only claim ownership to the story and the original concepts present within it.

 **Chapter 1: Pensiveness**

"Where is that fool?!"

King Bell's voice was like a roar of thunder, one that shook the palace walls, as lightning flashed from the storm outside. His servants constantly searched the grounds for the person he summoned as well as consoled the irate king. This matter could not wait, for the tournament that occurred every thousand years was soon to begin, and foul play was already in the air.

The doors to King Bell's throne room flew open unannounced. On the other side, an entity floated in. Albino, glowing eyes, a pointed head, body obscured by a blue and white robe. With the wave of an arm, the doors immediately closed, halting the personnel who tried to follow after him.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" The creature, speaking in a voice as old and domineering as the king himself, stared up to the mountain of a Mamodo glowering down at him. "I prefer to be indoors during weather like this if you don't mind."

King Bell examined him, a Mamodo that looked strange even by Mamodo standards. Even about half of the children at the school were bigger and more normal than him. His arms hung by his sides limp like a dead machine; fitting, what with the mechanical hands and gears. He spotted a small sneer behind his battlement-shaped collar, and the Mamodo World king cracked one of his own. "The Mind Colony are interesting Mamodo indeed. Your home orbits this world like the Moon with the Human World. You all are gifted with amazing psychic power. You age at such a different pace from even Mamodo that a toddler could be as old as my father."

"Yes, I am very well educated in the history and physiology of my own kind," the fellow Mamodo replied, trying but failing to mask his sarcasm, "Your Highness, if I can speak freely, get to the point."

"Isterius." Calm on the inside, the current king boiled with rage within. King Bell narrowed his eyes as lightning cracked along his rough hands. "You attempted to have several Mind Colonists smuggled into the tournament, didn't you? The Headmaster noticed this discrepancy. One of them even had already battled a millennium ago."

Isterius stared up to the king. King Bell tried to read his expression for any signs of guilt, but it was a futile task. Those eyes were like empty white voids. "The smuggling accusations I deny. Perhaps it is time for the Headmaster to retire and pick a replacement." Isterius paused to cross his arms. "As for the second part, you said it yourself. My clan's unique body toys with age itself. That person you referred to may be a millennium old but is like a qualifying child nonetheless. Besides, poor souls like that need an outlet. Spending such long time in that kind of stasis isn't healthy."

King Bell moved suddenly, and before Isterius knew it, he stood above him, ready to judge. "No more. I turned a blind eye to similar, if pettier, cases in the past, but not today. I am hereby instituting a new rule. Mamodo, in spite of longevity, sustained age, or whatever reason, cannot participate in the tournament more than once. We are relics of the past. We must nurture and teach the younger generation so they can take up the mantle when it's time. This loophole with your species undermines the idea. I deign to say it's cheating."

Parts of Isterius's body twitched at the decree. The one leverage his colony had over these lesser commoners was officially gone. His chances at having someone win the throne in the name of the Mind Colony had been significantly cut. King Bell took note of the more intense glow in the Mamodo's eyes but was unmoved. "I'll be calling for you later today. You are dismissed."

Never had he been happier to hear such words. Isterius, still floating above ground level, whipped around, used his psychic powers to open the doors, and slammed them behind him upon exit. The Mamodo growled like an animal, clenching a fist, wishing it were King Bell's skull within his fist. _"I cannot wait until you're gone."_

"Czar Lowerjacques!" One of the castle servants stepped out from a group. Isterius forgot they existed. "You'd do well to remember your place. You may be a political figure of the Mamodo World, the czar of the Mind Colony, but you fall under King Bell's jurisdiction. You've shown us and him utter contempt today. You better watch—"

Isterius raised a hand, silencing the rest of the servant's retort, as he psychically picked him up by the throat. The other castle workers gasped in shock as the czar choked the Mamodo before them. A female servant rushed past, hoping to get the king's attention. "M-Milor—!" Out of nowhere, a force blew her into the waiting wall, causing the rest to freeze in fear.

"You primitive worms had better realize how _you_ compare to me," Isterius spoke in a dangerously calm tone, "I'm no one's puppet or slave. I am Isterius Lowerjacques, Czar of the great Mind Colony. I am above you and no one can save you from my wrath. So let me leave."

Isterius finally released both castle workers and levitated away without another word. As they tended to their own, the castle workers all thought one thing, 'Glad he was never chosen for a tournament.'

* * *

Isterius returned to the Mind Colony, a moonlike planet that hovered outside the Mamodo World itself. The czar gazed around the environment, more technologically inclined than the main world, as alien Mamodo like himself walked or floated around. As he passed by, his subjects showed reverence by bowing. He contemplated making a public announcement about King Bell's decree, but he figured it wouldn't matter.

Coming upon his palace, half the size of the royal one and colored blue and white like himself, Isterius decided to talk to one Mind Colonist who was still eligible for the tournament.

He wouldn't have to go far, for said Mamodo was right outside the palace.

His eyes – glassy, green and resembling lenses – watched the river flow through its channel. Even smaller than Isterius himself, he too levitated off the ground. His black, buttoned trench coat hid his body. His bowl-shaped face was covered in bandages. Seemingly unaware of Isterius's presence, he adjusted the black, bell-shaped hat over his oblong head with one of only three fingers on his wrapped-up hands.

Isterius stared at the scene, quiet as a mouse, until it become too much for him. Nobody was that inattentive. "There are better things to do than watch rivers all day, brother."

The other Mamodo never moved. "I doubt you were going to say anything more interesting."

So he was aware. Isterius wasn't sure if he should be proud or insulted. He floated over and patted his younger brother on the back, oblivious to him flinching at his cold touch. "Guess what, Egarius? You're the sole representative of the Mind Colony to participate in this millennium's tournament. Be proud."

Egarius rolled his unseen eyes, finally turning to face his older sibling. "Yay, mortal danger."

Isterius frowned, following Egarius as he floated up the palace steps. "Come now. This is a momentous occasion. Nobody from here has won since the tournament began. I'm hoping you can change that."

"No guarantee," Egarius replied with a shake of his head, "This whole endeavor is one big headache."

Isterius's fingers twitched with the same agitation he had during his conversation with King Bell. Something about Egarius's flippant attitude bothered him. Many Mind Colonists would kill to be in his position. "Hm. Well, unlike most of us, you actually act like the age you appear."

"Not really." Egarius turned around, staring his older brother dead in his plain eyes. "I still feel like a midget and, if I truly had the mind of a 16-year-old, I wouldn't feel like I'm surrounded by idiots every time I leave our little 'planet.'"

 _"Can't argue with you there."_ Isterius looked at the clock tower on the horizon. "If you're skipping classes, I suggest you hurry along and at least get attendance points. I know some of those lessons can be grating and superfluous but at least show some character."

Egarius released a prolonged sigh. "All right, all right. I'll get going."

The two brothers went their separate ways, Egarius back to the Mamodo World and Isterius inside his chambers. As soon as he did, he used telepathy to summon three castle servants. When they arrived, they genuflected. "I just had a chat with both King Bell and Egarius." Isterius dipped his head slightly, hints of a frown visible over the rim of his collar. "This won't do. I have a feeling Egarius won't take this seriously enough. I need to brew some hatred in him, toughen him up. If my own kin cannot secure the crown in my name, that won't bode well for my future."

The servants looked up, awaiting his orders. Isterius stared at them hard. "All of you, I have an important task. I command you all to find ways to make Egarius suffer. Make him rue the day he was born. But no matter what, no matter how much he begs or suffers, let no one kill or severely injure him. Manipulate those young fools he goes to school with if you must."

"Y-Your excellency?"

"I-I do not understand your aim…"

"You needn't understand, only obey," Isterius explained, crossing his arms, "Loyal subjects, it is of grave importance King Bell is dethroned and has to watch one of my own take his place. That's a whole millennium whereupon the Mind Colony controls the Mamodo World. Egarius's life and happiness are a trifling price to pay. I know what tests await in the tournament. He'll have to fight those he doesn't wish to fight… kill who he doesn't want to kill. It's dog-eat-dog, so he must be properly primed for such a trial if he is to win."

"Understood, sir."

"We will carry out your orders."

"With pleasure."

* * *

Egarius survived two boring lectures on subjects he was already well-versed in, reminding him why he played hooky so much. Nonetheless, he fulfilled his quota for the day. As he left the grounds, other Mamodo children and teenagers doing whatever, he wondered if being in this tournament would be the reprieve from this dull life that he needed.

Feeling sick of home, Egarius took a detour to the forest. Having spent most of his life on the Mind Colony, he found himself entranced by things as little as rivers, trees, and fruit. His home planet, in his opinion, lacked any soul. He stopped near a creek and simply floated there, enjoying his privacy.

"Now, what's an outcast like you doin' out here?"

He tensed up but turned his head to look at a group of three Mamodo before him. Either they were already here, which he doubted, or they followed him. "Minding my own business," he replied, "and so should you three."

The second one hissed. "A typical response from this freak."

"Nobody wants you here!" the third and final bully yelled out, picking up a stone and chucking it at Egarius. "Crawl back to your hole, freak!"

Egarius taught the stone with his psychokinesis. "No thank you." Out of nowhere, something – much harder than a stone – hit his head. He winced, whipping to the direction. It was another group of Mamodo. _"Where did they come from?"_

"Leave them alone, you psycho!" The thrower demanded. The two flanking her left and right threw whatever they could get their hands on. Most of them Egarius caught psychically, but the others blindsided him. "Thinking you're so special you can skip class whenever you want. Just because you're the czar's brother and got some fancy powers. We don't want you here!"

For the next three days, this was the routine. Now with less motivation to leave home, Egarius tried to shut himself inside his room, but Isterius convinced him otherwise. It'd inevitably lead to some score of Mamodo finding him just to insult and bemoan his very existence. Already someone who emoted less than half the time, the bullying was making Egarius deader and deader.

All according to Isterius's plan.

Then came the day before fighters departed for Earth.

Egarius took cover behind a tree. A team of Mamodo, consisting of both children and teenagers, hunted him like a fugitive. Never before had he seen so many spells casted in such quick succession. This was ridiculous. His brother and the other adults were so useless when it came to messes like this. Egarius examined himself. His coat was a little scuffed up, and part of the bandages around his face felt wet. He reached up, tapped a spot, and looked to see blood on his hand.

"Oh my, so your blood is red after all."

Egarius looked up from beneath the brim of his hat to see some of his chasers. "Yeah, hate to disappoint." Taking a page from his brother's book, he casually flicked his hand and a sudden force tossed them backwards. He seized the chance to make a mad dash in the opposite direction.

Once they recovered, the chase resumed. "That's all you have going for you!" The leader shouted out a spell but hit the trees instead. Egarius was a deceptively fast flyer. "Some witty retort to distract yourself and everyone from what you really are: a sad, lonely monster who _knows_ he comes from a clan of freaks! Go back to that nest where you really belong!"

"Leave me alone!" Egarius shouted back. A smirk appeared on the bully's face. It was the first time something seemed to hit home.

"Zaker!"

Egarius stopped the minute he heard the rumble of thunder. Something radiated so much power the ground quaked, something he felt despite being off the ground. Turning around, he witnessed the blasts of lightning disappearing. It was so powerful his attackers ran away, screaming in fear. Egarius spotted the source of the spell, a small blond boy wearing a blue mantle. There was a fire in his orange eyes like none other.

The blonde turned around. "Are you okay?" His voice radiated such childish innocence Egarius had a hard time believing he was his savior.

The alien Mamodo stammered. "U-Um…I-I…"

He walked over, a smile on his face, and held out his hand like they were good friends. "I'm Zatch."

Egarius finally dismissed his awe and gingerly accepted the handshake. "E." Call him unoriginal for using the first letter of his first name, but it would at least hide part of his true identity. The moniker would aid him well in the tournament.

"Nice to meet you." Zatch continued to speak, "Those bullies are something else, aren't they?" E stayed silent because he was trying to figure out what was this boy's intention. He was talking to him as if this was a casual conversation between them. The two eventually started walking back to the creek. "I get bullied a lot too. They always call me a crybaby too."

"Those who are meek inherit the earth," E said. He did a double take. That came out of nowhere.

Zatch's golden-orange eyes shimmered, looking at E. "You really think so?"

Having no other choice, he had to continue off that. "Tests and trials develop a person. Before long, you and I will be rid of this torment one way or another."

"Even so! We can make it!"

E nodded since the blonde body could not see his smile, and then turned to his attention back to the river just in time to see yellowtail jumping out.

Zatch started drooling at the sight of his favorite meal. "Oh boy! Yellowtail!"

"Leave this to me." E extended his arm out. The next time two yellowtails popped from the surface, E telekinetically caught them in midair and brought the two fish over to him and Zatch. "Eat up." He tossed the blonde his yellowtail and brought a hand up his wraps.

"Thanks, E!" Zatch immediately started tearing through the meat and skin of the yellowtail with his teeth. He only stopped when a loud, sudden chomp came from beside him. E was readjusting his wraps around his face to their original way and tossed aside the bony remains of his yellowtail.

E caught him the blonde's prying gaze. "Surprised?"

"Nope," Zatch responded earnestly, "I knew from the beginning you were a Mamodo, like me, except with weirder-looking clothes."

E chuckled. He probably didn't mean it like that, but it was a little funny to him. "You're too kind, Zatch." The psychic Mamodo then noticed he finished his yellowtail off relatively quick as well. He got this far, so he might as well keep it up, having lunch with his first-ever friend. "Ready for seconds?"

"You bet I am!" Before E knew it, Zatch stripped off his mantle and tossed it into his face, jumping in the water afterwards. "I'll be right back!"

E groaned as he snatched the article of clothing off his face. _"I sincerely hope he washes this regularly."_

 **Ending Author Notes**

People who read the original _Zatch Bell: Another Story_ are going to see a lot of differences in the coming chapters of the first arc. It's all to hopefully craft a better story, one that's easier to write too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Zatch Bell is copyrighted to Makoto Raiku (characters, series, and concepts). I only claim ownership to the story and the original concepts present within it.

 **Chapter 2: Winds of Destiny**

Kiyo Takamine paced around his room. The trip to South America was soon. They discovered the hideout of Zofis and the Millennium Mamodo, Devolo Ruins, so it was time to act. But he still had his concerns. Kiyo stopped in the middle of his room and cupped his chin, glancing out of his window. _"Do we have enough people? Are we really prepared for this?"_

"Kiyooooo!"

Zatch came crashing into Kiyo's room, shattering his train of thoughts. His body inside his green bag, the blond boy jumped all over the place, waving Vulcan around. "Kiyo, Kiyo, Kiyo. Ki-yoooooo!"

Kiyo ever so slowly turned to Zatch, who immediately stopped as fear invaded his face. "Zaaaaaatch." His drone was low like a growling predator. Kiyo's visage warped into that of a demon, the air around him turning black from malevolence. Zatch shook, teeth chattering, and sweating bullets. " _What_ do you want?"

Zatch swallowed the lump in his throat, managing to answer. "U-U-Uh… C-Can we play?"

With a long, drawn-out sigh, Kiyo returned to normal. He caressed his forehead, trying to stave off the oncoming headache. "Zatch, I'm busy trying to get things together for our trip to South America. I don't have time to play. If you're bored, go to the park."

The young boy breathed a sigh of relief. He was spared from his partner's wrath for once. "Fiiiine."

* * *

"AHH! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Zatch ran as fast as he could around the playground of Mochinoki Park. His blue mantle flailed in the rushing wind. Behind him, a girl with a serious case of overbite in her whole mouth drove a toy vehicle after him. "Come on, Naomi! Quit doing this to me and Vulcan!" His pleas fell on deaf ears, for Naomi accelerated, laughing maniacally all the while.

Out of nowhere, a stone whizzed nailed the front left wheel, causing Naomi to flip over and crash. Zatch whirled around to see Naomi stuck in the sand, kicking her feet. "Wh-Whoa." Then he heard a sound, a mix of a growl and groan. Naomi corrected herself and glared at Zatch. The boy's blood ran cold, his wonder replaced with fear. "W-W-Wait!" He shook his hands and head as Naomi got back in her car. "I-I didn't do it! Please spare me!"

Just then, someone snatched Zatch up, zipping into the bushes where Naomi couldn't see or find them. Inside cover, Zatch squirmed, his yelling muffling by a hand. "You want her to leave you alone, right? Stop that," his savior demanded. The blond boy ceased, paralyzed by the sight of Naomi's enraged face as she looked around for him. Eventually, she decided to check another part of the park and rode away.

The two left the bush. The blonde checked out his hero, a – for lack of a better word – person floating off the ground wearing a domineering trench coat. He looked back at him. "There. You're safe now, Zatch."

"Oh, thank you so much! Naomi always does that to me, but boy, I'm glad you got here before Vulcan and I got hurt!" Zatch held up his rather slipshod but simple toy friend for the other to see. For a moment, his expression was unreadable. Then he shook his head slightly and said nothing else. "Wait a minute. How do you know my name?" Zatch asked, titling his head. "Do we know each other?"

"You don't remember me, Zatch? It's me, E."

Zatch looked at the sky and fingered his chin thoughtfully. "E…E…E…" After searching through his memory banks, he found his answer. "Nope! Never heard of you!"

E felt a nerve snap inside of him, but he remained calm. "I'm from the Mamodo World, Zatch. We ate yellowtail by the river days before we were sent here. Don't you remember?"

Now that he mentioned the Mamodo World, Zatch was able to give him a proper response. "If it's the Mamodo World you're talking about, I lost my memories about there. Maybe that's why I can't remember you."

The Mind Colonist nodded his head. "That explains everything." His gaze dropped. _"The first friend I ever made and now he can't even remember me…"_

Far off, a black figure landed atop a light-pole and watched the two Mamodo, green eyes as piercing as a hawk. "Two enemy Mamodo spotted." His orange cape flowed and blended into the sun bearing down from behind. He stood up straight, his whole body covered by either dark purple armor or orange fabric. "Milordo-Z ordered to seek out and eliminate as many enemies as possible buuuut..." A smile broke out, revealing his sharp canines. "He never said how or that I couldn't have some fun doing it."

After listening to Zatch prattle about matters he cared little about, E cleared his throat to stop him. "I'd best be on my way. I promised someone I'd only be away for a little while."

"A-ha! I knew you were still around here, Zatch!" The telltale lisp made the blonde wither like a dying flower. Much to both Mamodos' dismay, Naomi returned, raring for some payback. She blew steam from her nose, revving up her toy vehicle, her gleaming eyes set on the two of them. Zatch shook like a leaf, almost like Kanchome, while E stared back without expression.

Right when Naomi floored the pedals, someone grabbed her by the head and lifted her into the air. Immediately feeling the pressure around her skull, she screamed in pain, startling both Zatch and E. The dark Mamodo stood here, threatening to squash Naomi's head like a grapefruit. Almost as an afterthought, he stomped his armored boot on the toy car and crushed it. "Peons," he spoke,"where are your books?"

"H-Hey!" Zatch ran over, but the enemy flexing his claws around Naomi's head stopped him dead in his tracks. He gritted his teeth. "Put her down!"

"That's not an acceptable answer."

E floated over to the blonde's side, head lulling to the side. "It is only common etiquette to tell us your name before demanding things."

"If you must know, my name is Jizuro," the tall, armored Mamodo said, voice as gravelly as sandpaper, "Now I repeat, where are your books?" He held out a struggling, crying Naomi as far out as he could. "I'll kill her otherwise."

Zatch wanted to say more much to Jizuro, but his words got caught up in his throat at the sound of Naomi's hiccups and sobs. E peered at the boy from the corner of his featureless eyes. "My, Zatch, that girl heckled you so badly I thought you'd appreciate this unexpected boon."

The blonde shot a glare at the psychic. "E, get serious! He's hurting her!"

A frustrated snarl recaptured their attention. "My patience wears thin." Jizuro tightened his grip, forcing out a shrill scream from Naomi.

Zatch's blood ran cold, his whole facing blanching. "N-No! I don't have it with me!"

"Me either obviously." E outstretched his arms to confirm his lack of possessions. "Our partners keep up with that, not us."

Jizuro let out a sigh. He relaxed his grip on Naomi's head but not enough to actually drop her. "Well, no use not making the best out of this situation." At this point, the wind blew, causing his cape to billow, revealing a brunette behind him. She bore the same vacant eyes as most humans enlisted under Zofis. "Tool, the spell."

A glow lit up that part of the playground. "Kizaru."

Jizuro's free hand spawned glowing claws made of light. He then shot them at Zatch and E, who both sidestepped the attack. Focusing on Naomi, Zatch sprinted at Jizuro, but he saw him coming. He raised his still-glowing claws to her. "Ah, ah, ah. Fight back, the girl dies." A small grin formed when the threat stopped him cold.

Taking Naomi's ride as cover, E groaned, resisting the oncoming headache. "So what do you want us to do? Stand still and be your punching bags?"

"That's the idea," Jizuro replied in a tone suggesting the answer was obvious.

"I have an even better idea. Zakeruga!"

Jizuro turned his head to see another human approaching, but when he did, Zatch fired a concentrated beam of electricity at his shoulder. The armored Mamodo exclaimed in pain, forcing him to let go of Naomi. When she hit the ground, E scooped her up and took her to a safe location. Kiyo ran up to Zatch's side, red spellbook in hand. "I see now what was taking you so long to come back,' he remarked, eyes fixated into a glare.

Jizuro rotated his shoulder several times until it cracked. His green eyes locked onto the book, but unfortunately for him, he wasn't going to get it without a fight. "Hmph. Oh, well. Nothing ventured, nothing gain. This little modicum of conflict adds to the drama." He bared his sharp teeth at the two. "All right, you peons, show me your worth."

Kiyo scanned the area, his brain going right to work. The playground still looked fine, so that meant he arrived just in time. His eyes landed on Jizuro's partners, and he recognized the distinct look in her eyes. He gasped. "Do you work for Milordo-Z?!"

Jizuro relaxed out of his stance a little. "You… How did you figure that out?"

Kiyo gritted his teeth, a fire brewing his brown eyes. "We know all about that monster. Now what are you doing here?!"

"If you must know, Milordo-Z appointed me as 'exterminator.' A behind-the-scenes assassin if you will," Jizuro explained, holding up his gleaming claws, sharp enough to rend flesh if given the chance, "I'm here to eliminate whoever I find however I desire. You are next on my list."

"Ganzu Kizaru."

Both sets of claw grew out of Jizuro's gauntlets. In a sudden burst of speed, he closed the gap between himself and Zatch, slashing at the boy with a volley of light blades. Zatch gritted his teeth and screwed one eye shut to suppress the pain, standing his ground.

"Straight ahead, Zatch!" Kiyo called out, keeping his cool, "Zakeruga!"

Their patience was rewarded with a direct hit to Jizuro's solar plexus. The armored Mamodo's eyes bulged out as the beam of lightning forced him backwards. He dug his feet into the ground, leaving tracks, before he stopped where his bookkeeper was. He placed a hand on his midsection, coughing a little. _"He aimed at the solar plexus, the weakest part of the center of the body. Why that little…"_ The corner of his lips twitched, a tinge of excitement coursing through him. _"He'd make a great opponent if I was little more prepared for one-on-one combat."_

"Had enough yet?" Kiyo had the next spell in mind, but that could change anytime Jizuro revealed more of his repertoire. Just then, he saw a figure behind Jizuro, ready to attack. Taking it in stride, Kiyo grinned.

Then came a puce light. "Aiga!"

A force hit Jizuro dead in his back, blowing him and his bookkeeper into the air and sending them meters away. From Kiyo's point of view, a purple and pink force-field was responsible. Zatch smiled at the sight of E floating where Jizuro once stood. "E! Thanks for the assist!"

E let his arm drop. "Please don't mention it." Beside him was a 16-year-old girl with long, dark brown hair and lighter brown eyes. Her biker jacket matching her hair color, she also wore a pink undershirt, dark blue pants, and matching shoes. "Gentlemen, this is my partner, Anjiru Tsukoro, who's taken time out of her not-so-busy schedule to assist us."

Anjiru gave him an offhanded glance. "E?"

He returned the look. "Yes?"

"Will you _please_ start calling me 'Anj?!'"

The ground rumbled a little, everyone whipping around to see Jizuro back on his feet carrying his mind-controlled partner. "I suppose I'll quietly back out now," he said, grabbing his cape and tossing it around them. "Do remember this won't be our last encounter." The cape swirled into a focal point until it disappeared entirely, taking the duo with them.

Kiyo straightened up, snapping the book close. "Man, I was really hoping we wouldn't have to deal with him again."

Zatch rushed over to his two new comrades. "Thanks for helping us, you two."

Anjiru kneeled down and petted Zatch, smiling. "No trouble. Just be glad I was still around."

Kiyo walked over, putting the red book away. "I guess nothing left to do but introduce myself. My name is Kiyo Takamine, and this is my partner Zatch. I already caught your names. Nobody got hurt, r—"

His question died quickly as Anjiru stepped forward, eyes fixated on his. Her gaze was as striking as Jizuro's, lips pursed in a thin line of indifference. Kiyo's face grew hot. "H-hey, hey, hey! Anj, can you—" Without an announcement, she reached up and fixed Kiyo's blazer, dusting it off. "There." She backed away, bowing apologetically afterwards. "I'm sorry, I had to fix your state of undress. It was bothering me."

Kiyo took some paces back. "Um, right. Thanks, I guess?"

E's focus drifted to where Jizuro disappeared. "Been a while since we've been ambushed. Hopefully that was just some regular thug who will get comeuppance soon enough."

"Actually, I wanted to talk about that," Kiyo said in a serious tone. Zatch matched his expression with a fervent nod. Understanding, Anjiru and E gestured to the nearest bench, and they all sat down. "I don't know if either of you caught a good look at Jizuro's partner, but she wasn't in the right mind. She was mind-controlled by an evil Mamodo named Milordo-Z. He's using an army of Mamodo from one thousand years ago, all of their partners under the same fate."

Zatch nodded again. "Yeah! We got to stop them! Me and the rest of my friends!"

"Tragic," E said, sinking into Anjiru's lap. "I offer my condolences."

"I wish you good luck," Anjiru said, "You have my support."

Zatch looked at the psychic Mamodo with hopeful eyes and a smile. "Hey! You're a Mamodo, too, right? Why don't you come help us?"

E tensed up. He had to ask the same question running through his mind. However, Anjiru beat him to the punch. "We're not all that strong at this point in the battle." She avoided eye contact with either of them. "We'd just get in the way."

Although Kiyo knew better than to pester a stranger into jumping into the fray, his previous feelings stopped him from leaving it at that. 'Do we have enough' continued to be asked by his conscience. More firmly, he finally spoke, "Milordo-Z is just plain evil, forcing Mamodo from one thousand years ago to fight for his own purposes. He doesn't even care what happens to them or their hypnotized bookkeepers!" He put a hand on Anijru's shoulder, but that didn't make her look at him. "A guy like him can't be king! Help us beat him!"

Anjiru gently took Kiyo's hand by the wrist and removed it off her. She finally looked at him, but through lidded eyes, with an empty smile. "Sorry, Kiyo. Like I said, we'd just get in the way. I'm not ready for that kind of responsibility." She stood up, carrying E in her arms like a plush toy so no one would question his presence. "It was nice meeting you guys."

Kiyo watched them leave, sinking into his seat with a sigh when they did. "Dang, I might have come off too strong."

Zatch jumped up to take over the seat. "Kiyo? Are you really that bothered?"

Kiyo figured he might as well come clean to his partner. "Zatch, I know we have plenty of friends coming along, but I'm…" He balled his fists but kept a calm tone of voice. "I'm not sure if that's enough. Nothing's guaranteed. I just want to make sure we're as prepared as possible."

"Don't worry, Kiyo," the blond Mamodo said with a smile, "Just believe. It'll all turn out fine."

Kiyo shared a smile of his own, but he wished he shared Zatch's optimism.

* * *

The bus ride home to Odaiba was quiet and long. Anijru passed the time watching the buildings, people, and cars come and go in the window. E stayed in her lap in peaceful, soundless rest. She petted his oblong head all the while. Her thoughts returned to the offer Kiyo made earlier in the day. Her conscience battled. On one side, her human decency wanted to put Milordo-Z out of his misery. The other, her cynicism, told her there was no point and that she said the right thing. Anjiru laid her head back, drifting off to sleep herself.

 _"Can anyone explain to me the theory of relativity?"_

 _Seconds after the question was asked, nobody spoke up, either because they never reviewed the material or showed no interest in the topic. Seated in the middle of the classroom, Anjiru raised her hand, waving it to get her teacher's attention. "Miss Tsukoro?"_

 _Anijru stood up from her seat, clearing her throat. "The theory of relativity explains how to interpret motion between different inertial frames of reference. That is, places that are moving at constant speeds relative to each other-"_

 _The teacher nodded, satisfied with just that. "Very nice. Now-"_

 _"-The theory is based on two key principles: the principle of relativity in which the laws of physics don't change, even for objects moving in inertial frames of reference, and the principle of the speed of light, which is constant for all observers, regardless of their motion relative to the light source."_

 _"I see someone went above and beyond," the teacher commented in an impressed tone, gesturing her to sit down._

 _A bright, toothy smile was on her face as she did so_. "I knew reading on ahead would pay off." _Taking out her notebook, a chill then ran down her neck. She glimpsed around and noticed quite a few of her classmates glaring at her. She forced herself at pay attention to the teacher but still felt them boring holes into her body._ "W-Was it something I said?"

...

 _Anjiru's back hit the fence on her school's rooftop. She slumped down, gripping her arm to cut off the flow of pain. She forced one eye open to see one of her own classmates standing before her. The book in his hand glowed brightly as a younger child stepped forward._

 _"Finally, I get a chance to humble you, you know-it-all brat." The classmate gripped the book tighter, the light flaring up. "Best grades and best student three years running… Always overachieving, sucking up to the teachers like some pet! You think that stuff is cute? Makes you special? Well, guess what, here's a reality check!"_

 _He shouted out a spell, the child firing some sort of magic. Anjiru moved out of the way, but the attack grazed her back. A cry of pain escaped as she landed flat on the concrete. Feeling the stone heat up, she crawled away to the best of her ability. Even though it was a mere two wounds, her whole body burned. Collapsing, she gazed up to her classmate. "W-Why? Why didn't you just-"_

 _"Talk? It wouldn't work. Once a pretentious brat, always a pretentious brat. You love it, don't you deny it. It's disgusting." The student locked on to Anjiru's legs, leafing through the book until the right spell showed up. "I'd be doing us all a favor putting you out a semester or two. Maybe then the rest of us could have a chance to shine ourselves."_

 _Her brain had shut down. She was clammy and there was the glisten of a cold sweat. Her watery eyes enlarged and the hairs on the nape of her neck bristled. A classmate, one she thought she never wronged, was about to seriously hurt her. "N-No…" She trembled at the very thought. She held her breath and ducked her head, preparing herself._

 _Before the student read the spell, a fire extinguisher struck the enemy Mamodo in the back of its head. "W-What the!" The bookkeeper kneeled down to check the blindsided Mamodo._

 _"Usually, teams gang up on a Mamodo. A defenseless human? Even I can't stand idle." At the voice, they looked to see a small, floating creature in a black trenchcoat, wraps, and an oblong hat. He had their book in his hand. Quickly, he floated over to the smoldering stone and pressed the book into it. It caught fire. "Behold, karma in motion." The Mamodo began to disappear as E threw the burning book at the human's face. Then, he heard the sounds of footsteps bursting out from the door, faculty coming to check on the noise. E hid before they saw him._

 _If she weren't in so much pain, Anjiru would have thanked the little guy. Blackness began to cloud her tear-filled vision._ "Great. My savior isn't even remotely human."

 **Ending Author Notes**

I deliberately kept the gender and identity of Anj's assailants ambiguous. You're welcome to use your imagination.

Readers of the original Another Story should be seeing differences already. Angelica had abusive parents whereupon E used a memory wipe technique to turn them to normal. I thought that was insensitive to people going through that issue (a major problem like that erased no sweat is a no-no, I've learned). So, now, Anjiru has her intelligence be both a gift and a curse. Hopefully this'll all make her a good foil to Kiyo.

Also, this chapter will be the last time you'll see me describe E wearing a trenchcoat, yadda, yadda. You get the idea now, and you know who he is.


End file.
